An Unexpected Chance
by Katchen
Summary: A fruitless search of an abandoned office. Bernard seems to be channeling a teenage girl? Lupo discovers some things about himself, and Connie reveals a deeply guarded secret.
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first story. Apologies for any mistakes. I've tried to catch them all, but if there's something I missed, well, I've always kind of needed a copy editor._

_I really am enjoying Lupo. There's something sad and lonely about the character, and it kind of makes me want to find him a friend. So I figure why not use the one person (besides his ex-partner) who has expressed some interest in his life._

* * *

Cyrus Lupo threw another file onto the precarious pile. "A whole lotta nothing. What a colossal waste of time," he muttered as he glanced around the storefront office. Peeling peach paint and 1980s patterned wallpaper. Particleboard desks, rusted filing cabinets and a strange dull red couch in the corner. The carpet had stains over stains. It didn't look like anyone had cleaned the place in a good ten years. The office was a dump, and he found it was hard to believe that it actually was someone's workplace. They had torn it apart completely, and still found absolutely nothing to implicate the suspect in anything. Walking over to his partner, Lupo grimaced at the stale cigarette smell that seemed to hover over Jeff Dorrian's desk. "Any luck?"

Looking up from the filing cabinet Kevin Bernard shook his head. "Nothing here." He stood up slowly and stretched his neck from side to side.

"He can't be this smart." The two detectives looked over at the ADA standing beside them. A frown spread over her flushed face. "No one is that careful. There's got to be some kind of a trail," Connie Rubirosa said.

Lupo and Bernard looked at each other warily. Neither one wanted to contradict the young lawyer. They'd learned the hard way that she could bite, and hard. "It isn't here," Lupo told her carefully.

They stood in silence, three sets of brown eyes surveying the piles of files and papers. Dorrian was guilty. Call it instinct; call it a gut feeling; call it whatever. Everything pointed to Jeff Dorrian as the killer. The man had all but confessed. And that was the problem. All but simply wasn't good enough, and for some reason or another, they couldn't pull up a single shred of concrete evidence that directly implicated the man.

Bernard's eyes turned to rest on his two companions. "Wait a minute." Bernard picked up the appointment book from the desk and flipped to the back. Tossing it back on the desk he headed quickly for the door.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Lupo called out to him.

He glanced back. "Twenty minutes. Give me twenty minutes," he called out as he left the office.

Lupo and Connie hurried to follow him out the door, but he was gone by the time they reached the street. "What the heck is he doing?" Lupo muttered to himself. Bernard knew better than to take off without his partner. Where could he possibly be headed?

He turned to the dark haired woman beside him. "Ah…he'll be back," he said, feeling rather hapless. Problem was, he wasn't exactly sure he believed his own words. And he wasn't exactly sure how Connie Rubirosa would react to Bernard's abandonment, especially considering her already frustrated state.

Her lips pressed together, she raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly. "Okay."

With a sigh, Lupo rubbed the back of his neck. Glancing around the street, he noticed a small coffee shop next door to their suspect's office. Coffee. That might buy some measure of forgiveness from the young ADA. "Can I buy you a cup of coffee, Connie? I'm really sorry about this."

She gave him a small smile. "Sure. And no worries. Maybe Bernard's brainstorm will solve this case."

Lupo snorted in disbelief. "Yeah, maybe." But he'd still have some serious explaining to do.

* * *

"So there I was, bending down to pick up Otto's most recent gift to me, his leash wrapped around my legs, and he sees a squirrel take off across the field. You can imagine the result," Lupo shook his head with a smile. "He doesn't believe in a nice quiet walk in the park."

Connie leaned forward and laughed gently, balancing precariously on the small coffee shop table. "What I wouldn't give to have seen that, Lupo."

He gave her a small smile. "Maybe someday. And please, it's Cyrus."

Smiling back, she nodded. "Okay…Cyrus." They sat in silence, smiling at each other for an awkward minute. "So, uh, are you going to the agility trials on Saturday?" she asked, bringing the conversation back to the regional dog show they'd been talking about earlier.

"I was thinking about it." He paused for a minute looking thoughtful. "You know, if my job wasn't so unpredictable, I think Otto'd be a good candidate for agility training. Might work out some of his energy. He's certainly got the speed." He shook his head and chuckled again at the memory of their last jaunt in the park. Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he studied his companion carefully. Her bright eyes and easy smile made it seem like her face was almost glowing in the shadows of the small shop. He honestly couldn't remember when he'd so enjoyed a cup of overpriced coffee. "Are you going?"

She nodded quickly. "It's become a sort of an annual event for me. It really reminds me of the dogs back home. I had fun doing agility."

Nervously biting his bottom lip he glanced up at her somewhat shyly. "Maybe we could, uh, go together? You know, if you don't mind someone tagging along…"

"I'd like that," she said softly, smiling at him again, a soft blush filling her cheeks.

A grin spread over his face. "I …" A sudden ring from his cell phone pierced through the room, interrupting him. He grabbed it quickly. "That must be Bernard," he told her. "Lupo," he barked into the phone.

"Where on earth are you Lupo? Bernard's been back in the squad room alone for the past hour." His lieutenant's annoyed voice came over the line.

"What?" he glanced at his watch, and his mouth dropped open. 3:30. Shoot. He'd been sitting with Connie in the coffee house for nearly two hours. "Uh, I'm still at Dorrian's office with Rubirosa."

There was a slight pause on the other end. "Then what exactly is Bernard doing here?"

"Uhhh…" He didn't want to drag their boss into Bernard's escapade. "Miscommunication. I'm on my way back now." He ended the call quickly and looked sheepishly at his companion. "I guess he's not coming back. I'm so sorry about this Connie."

She smiled. "No problem. I've enjoyed talking to you. I can't say it's been an unpleasant afternoon." She glanced at her own watch, stood up and picked up her case. "But I guess we had better get back to work. And find out where Bernard went. I still need that evidence."

He followed her up and out of the small shop. "I've got to brief Mike on this. Let me know what your missing partner says," Connie told him as she turned to head back to her own office. She stopped, reached into her bag, and pulled out a pen and scrap of paper. Quickly she scribbled her home phone number on a piece of paper. "And give me a call later. We'll figure out the details for Saturday."

He took the number and placed it in his front pocket. "I'll call you tonight," he said. She smiled and headed on her way. He watched as her lithe figure walked down the street towards her car. "Now this could get interesting," he said to himself with a smile. With a sigh, he turned towards his own vehicle, which thankfully his wayward partner had left behind. "Now to get some answers out of Bernard..."


	2. Chapter 2

_So what exactly was Bernard thinking? Now let's see..._

* * *

The tall detective stormed into the squad room, his brown eyes raging. He made his way directly to his partner, who was busy reading a rather large file. "What the hell are you going here?" Cyrus Lupo growled.

Kevin Bernard looked up briefly. "I work here."

"Hah, hah, very funny." Lupo threw himself into his own chair. Exhaling loudly, he silently counted to 10, trying to calm down. No point in making the situation worse by drawing everyone's attention. He shook his head in frustration. "What's the deal with you leaving Connie and I sitting there for two hours without any idea where you are, then me getting a call from the lieutenant asking why you're here without me?"

Raising an eyebrow, Bernard grinned at his partner. "So it's Connie now? Interesting…"

"Shut up," Lupo said with a glare. "Just tell me what's going on. And it had better be good." It really wasn't Bernard's abandonment that had angered him so much. It was his lieutenant's phone call. Although he'd only been made senior partner rather reluctantly, he wasn't interested in seeing Bernard completely undermine his position with his antics. Lieutenant Van Buren had been his biggest supporter since he'd returned. She'd laid her neck on the line for him, and the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint her. He owed her too much.

Bernard went back to his file. "Oh. Well, I figured since you've have been making moon eyes at each other for as long as I've known you, the two of you might appreciate some time alone."

"What?!" Lupo screeched as he lifted himself up from the chair. Fifteen pairs of eyes focused on the young man at the uncharacteristic sound. He quickly lowered his voice and sat back down. "What the hell are you talking about?"

With a sigh, Bernard put down the file, and leaned forward on his desk. He rested his chin on his hands and gave him a thoughful look. After a few seconds, he slowly nodded. "Well, I guess you've been so busy carrying a torch for that sister in law of yours, maybe you're not even aware of it. But, geez man, your eyes follow her everywhere, you're constantly in her space. And for God only knows the reason, she's got it bad for you." He gave Lupo a critical once over. "I really don't get it."

Lupo wasn't sure whether he was shocked or insulted. Maybe it was a bit of both. He just rolled his eyes. "Thanks man."

"Well just look at yourself. You look like you rolled outta bed, threw on some clothes that were hanging on a chair, and came straight to work. She looks like she walked off the page of some fashion magazine. What possible appeal would you have?" Bernard shrugged. "Must be your magnetic personality. Or something she ate."

With a snort, Lupo shook his head. Clearly his partner had lost his mind. Completely. He did like Connie. Even more than just her beauty, he had been impressed with how she treated people. Tough, yes, but fair. He'd watched her interactions, and she genuinely seemed to listen. She'd listened to him when her boss had thrown him out while they were investigating his partner. She'd tried to help Ed. To top it all off, she was a dog person and kids liked her. Kids and dogs were usually the best judges of character. But he'd never really acknowledged his affection for the ADA to himself. Before their afternoon at the coffee shop, he hadn't even been really aware of it. So how on earth had Bernard picked up on it?

Besides, Bernard was right about one thing. What on earth would a woman like that see in a messed up cop like him?

Bernard leaned back in his chair. "If I'm wrong, just what exactly where you two doing for two hours?" When Lupo didn't answer, Bernard just smugly nodded. "I thought so."

"You're an idiot. We talked about dog shows. She used to train dogs for agility contests, and there's a regional competition on Saturday," Lupo told him. Bernard just stared at him, and knowingly raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so we're both going to the competition. No point in both of us driving up there. We might as well go together."

"Whatever you say Romeo." Picking up a pen, Bernard gave Lupo a searching look. "Hmm…well, that gives us three days." He started scribbling on the pad on his desk.

"Three days to do what? What are you writing?"

"Three days to make you a little more worthy of that ADA." He turned to the detective behind him. "Hey McHugh." The short blond woman turned to the two men. "If you were gonna go out with Lupo here, what would you say about his look?"

Wriggling her eyebrows, Janet McHugh gave Lupo a cheeky grin. "Definitely needs a shave and a haircut. And he needs to meet Mr Iron." Lupo glared at her, and she just laughed. "Sorry, but the disheveled look is overrated."

"There you go. A trim should do it for your hair. And you do have a proper razor, right?"

Lupo stared at him, incredulously. "Who are you, my mother?"

Bernard just ignored him. "Now, you're probably going to need some new clothes. Preferably something that fits properly. Now, it's a dog show, so casual is probably the way to go. Jeans, with a dark wash, and, humm, maybe a button up shirt. There's a sale starting tomorrow at Macy's…"

"I got clothes. Look man, you're scaring me. This isn't my first date. I can handle it myself."

"Oh really. So I guess the rumour is wrong. You're not the guy who told Loo he'd bring a date to a cafeteria?" He ignored the daggers coming from Lupo's eyes and flipped open his file again. "Just don't screw this up."

"I'm leaving now." Lupo glared at his partner as he left the squad room. He punched the door to the stairwell open, and clomped down the stairs to the street, ignoring the strange looks he got from those he past. Storming past the crowds, he hurried towards the bright sunlight.

Once outside, he made his way down the street, walking as fast as he could. As he got further and further away from the precinct, he felt the anger begin to dissipate. When he'd gone about six blocks, he stopped and took a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, he shook his head and ran his hand through his thick brown curls. His hair was getting a little ragged; he could use a bit of a trim. And he did want to look decent on Saturday. With a sigh, he headed towards the barber down the street.

* * *

_N.B. I really have nothing against Bernard (I actually have no opinion one way or another on him), and I'm not trying to be negative here. He just seems a little awkward in social situations sometimes. I do think he means well though._


	3. Chapter 3

_So what's going through Connie's head as she gets ready for this date? I know it's slightly out of character, but that's sort of the point here. ;-)_

_And this wasn't the original plan for the third chapter, but my computer got stolen, and along with all my work was the rest of the story, so it's being made up again. Apologies if it doesn't flow right (especially the ending)._

* * *

Connie Rubirosa pushed her dark brown hair behind her left ear and stared at her reflection in the mirror. With a frown, she let the hair fall back in place and picked up her earrings. The silver hoops were quickly in place, and she gave her hair one last shake. Satisfied, she turned and headed back to the living room where she plopped herself down into a chair and picked up the remote. Gymnastics. Sappy movie. Documentary on wild horses. Fishing show. Sighing, she settled on an old rerun of _Three's Company_.

She couldn't believe she was this nervous over a date. Especially over a date with a man she saw regularly at work. Logically, Cyrus Lupo wasn't really even her type. A scruffy cop, he was a little rough around the edges. But there was something that drew her to him. His loyalty and stubbornness made him a good cop. He could be cynical, but she'd been impressed by the way he dealt with animals and children. She suspected he had built up walls to protect a sensitive spirit. He'd obviously been hurt, and badly. The scars he bore gave him a depth that she didn't often see in the men she dated. Somehow she knew that the woman that broke down those walls would find herself with a treasure.

The ringing telephone interrupted her musing. "Hello?'

"Hi Connie, it's Cyrus. I'm downstairs."

She blushed heavily at the sound of his voice, as if he could hear her over romanticized thoughts. "Oh hi. Come on up. It's 7C." Buzzing him in, she headed for one last mirror check.

His knock on the door made her heart jump. She hurried to the door, and taking a deep breath, she opened the door. Her jaw dropped at the sight of him. She was used to scruffy man who always seemed uncomfortable in his clothing. Today, he was clean-shaven, and his wild curls, while still a little unruly, were neatly trimmed. He seemed comfortable in jeans and a well-worn brown leather jacket. He looked good. But it was more than just his clothing. He'd always seemed a bit out of place. No, not really out of place. Guarded might be a better word, kind of like an animal in unfamiliar territory. With the change in clothes, he exuded confidence and strength.

He cleared his throat slightly, and brought her back to the present. Realizing he was still in the hall, and her mouth was hanging open, she closed it quickly and stepped back. "Uh…Sorry, come on in."

Giving her a quizzical look he stepped over the threshold. "Are you okay?"

Her face flamed. "Yeah." She turned around quickly and opened the closet to grab her coat and purse. Schooling her features into what she hoped was a nonchalant face she turned around. "So lets go see some dogs."

Mentally slapping herself, she walked out into the hall. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_. He changed clothes, and she was acting like an idiot. Or like a teenage girl. This behaviour was a far cry from that of a self-confident, independent woman.

"Connie?" At the sound of his voice, she whirled around. "Are you sure you're okay?" Taking a deep breath, she looked up into his big brown eyes. They were clear, open, and oh so familiar. He was still the same Lupo.

She felt the tension in her body lift and she nodded. "I, uh…" Blushing again, she stared down at her feet as her boot traced the pattern in the hall carpet. "I guess I'm just a little bit nervous," she finally admitted.

He reached down and gently lifted her chin. "It's just me," he said softly. Pausing for a moment he studied her face. "Are you sure about all this?"

A tiny flutter of panic attacked at the thought of walking away now. That was the last thing she wanted. "Yes. I'm okay now. Let's just go."

He nodded slowly, but she knew he was less than convinced. She couldn't explain her behaviour to herself – how could she hope to reassure him that she was fine? That she actually wanted to go out with him? Her nerves had nothing to do with second thoughts about going out with him, but she wasn't about to tell him what had thrown her so completely off. How could she say that he'd shown up looking so relaxed and comfortable with himself that she found him completely irresistible, and that was making her act so out of character? The last thing she wanted was to make him question his decision to ask her out.

Glancing up at his face as they left her building, she made a quick decision. Reaching over, she quietly slipped her hand in his. She felt the hesitation in his gait as he looked down at her questioningly. She gave him a small smile, and was rewarded with a quick grin as he entwined his fingers with hers. Satisfied, she let out the breath she'd inadvertently been holding. Now that they'd both relaxed, there was some hope for them after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Somehow it seemed like they were entering a different world. Passing from the familiar cityscape into a world of grass and dogs. The street noise of cars and people hurrying every which way was replaced with the sounds of excited dogs and trainers. Jumps and other obstacles were set up for each course the dogs would follow. Some of the dogs were already on the floor for the afternoon's trial. Border collies seemed to be the most prevalent, their distinctive black and white coats standing out against the bright green turf, but there were many other breeds represented in the competition. Spectators milled around, slowly filling the stands around the courses.

Cyrus Lupo couldn't quite believe the number of people. Up until Connie's mention of the agility trials on Wednesday, he hadn't even known they held trials in the city. He remembered as a child being fascinated by the dogs he had watched on television. The graceful speed as the dogs raced through tunnels and between posts had first awakened his love of dogs. He'd begged his parents for a dog for nearly four years before they'd finally allowed him to bring home a brown and white mutt from the pound. Everyday after school he'd worked with that dog on basic obedience and parlour tfricks. George had been his pride and joy. Together they'd entertained the neighbourhood. Although he had been 21, it had still broken his heart when the dog died. The bond between humans and dogs sometimes did seem almost mystical.

Turning to his companion, he smiled. Her brown eyes danced with excitement. An image of the young dark haired lawyer chasing a racing dog through the course in her court attire flashed through his mind. He chuckled softly.

"What's so funny?" Connie asked suspiciously.

"Nothing." He shook his head quickly to get rid of the ridiculous image. "So, ah, how seriously did you compete?" he asked referring to her own experience in training dogs for agility.

"I made it to the junior state championship when I was 12. I think that was probably the proudest moment of my life." She grinned widely at the memory.

He gave a slight shake of his head. "Somehow I still find it difficult to picture you running agility trials. I'm not sure it fits with the sophisticated high power attorney I see at work."

"I wasn't always an attorney," she pointed out. "And somehow I'm not sure that you can really call anyone from the outskirts of Massena sophisticated."

Raising his eyebrows he looked down at her in disbelief. "You're not exactly a backwoods hick you know," he said dryly. He knew she'd grown up in upstate New York, but once glance told you that regardless of where she came from, now she was every inch a stylish woman from Manhattan. His partner had said she looked like she walked off the pages of one of the city's fashion magazines. She could easily be the poster woman for the New York District Attorney's office.

She didn't answer him. Her eyes were fixed on an old collie at one end of the arena, and she stared at him for a good minute before she slowly spoke. "You know, I was 16 when I first came to New York on a class trip. We'd lived outside Massena since I was two, and I'd never spent any time in a big city. We went to Plattsburg a couple of times, but never my parents hated the city. I begged and pleaded with them to let me go on the grade 11 class trip. I wanted to see the places I'd read about. To be part of it all. When we got here, it was evening, and I remember being overwhelmed by the shear number of people. And the concrete everywhere. It was like another world.

"I so clearly remember walking up the steps of the library on our first day. I was by myself near the back of the group, and I stopped just as we reached the top. There was this woman leaving the library. She was everything I wanted to be, at least in my own mind. A beautiful, elegant, well dressed professional, well respected and happy. I decided I was going to be her. I'd move here, and leave all my small town idiosyncrasies behind. Start over again in the city where no one knew me. I wasn't going to be the dork I was in high school ever again. I'd be somebody. But I just couldn't stay away from the agility trials."

With her confession done, Connie seemed to relax slightly. She turned to Lupo and blushed slightly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to blurt that all out."

He shrugged slightly. "We've all got things to escape." He knew that better than most. Running away had always been his preferred method of dealing with pain. Avoidance might not be the healthiest way of addressing a hurt, but it sure was the easiest. She had run to the city to escape her teenage pain; he'd cut off his brother and gone halfway around the world to escape a lost love. The pain, of course, did not disappear. From personal experience, he knew that it followed you; it kept gnawing at you. Still, whatever it was that had caused her pain was buried deep within. He knew that she hadn't really meant to bring up her past, and was probably wondering why she'd let him glimpse behind the mask. It was best to keep it light hearted. Besides, he wasn't about to let her see his own cracks. Not yet.

A small smile graced her lips at his understanding. He wouldn't push for details, and for that she was grateful. "So, have you ever tried agility?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Nope. Only seen it on TV," he told her, thinking once again of the hours he'd spent watching the dogs as a kid.

"You should try it. Get Otto through basic obedience and take some advanced courses. It would be good for him. Sort of an outlet for the energy. He probably needs it living in the city."

He sighed. "You know, I'd love to. I do think he'd love it. But with the unpredictable hours of my job…"

Nodding slightly in understanding, she looked thoughtful for a minute. "I guess that is a problem. Still, maybe there's some thing that could be worked out. I think you'd enjoy it. Really gets you in tune with the dog. It's quite something to experience working in tandem with the animal." Her eyes took on a sad, wistful look. "Nothing quite like it."

It was clear to him that there was more to her story than she was saying. He couldn't help but wonder why she'd ever quit training dogs if she loved it so much. There was a depth to Connie Rubirosa that he hadn't expected to find. He had to admit that it intrigued him. And he looked forward to discovering the mysterious woman that lay behind the calm and self-confident face she put on for the outside world to see.

* * *

_ I know Connie doesn't really come from Massena. In fact, I'm not actually sure they've ever revealed her hometown. She's probably from New York, but I needed her to come from a small upstate town for the backstory to work out. Massena won out because of familiarity. _


	5. Chapter 5

"So what do you think?" Lupo asked, nodding at the video jacket he held in his hand.

Turning away from the stack, Connie glanced down at the box. She stopped short. "Kenny vs Spenny." Horror gripped her heart. "Uh…"

He grinned happily. "Yeah. I mean can you really think of a better way to spend an evening than watching them duke it out?"

Connie bit her lip as her eyes widened. "I..uh..yeah…I mean…" she stammered as she tried to control the horrified look spreading over her face.

He couldn't keep it up. A half chuckle escaped his lips. "I'm just joking. I wouldn't subject you to that crap this evening." A relieved sigh escaped her lips. Raising his eyebrows he grinned maniacally. "Now next weekend is another story…."

"Oh you, you, beast," she sputtered.

He laughed again and ducked away from her swinging handbag. "You know it really could be considered an interesting social commentary. Years from now they'll probably be studying it to make sense of the social dynamics of the early 21st century."

Ignoring the curious stare of the only other customer in the video shop, she turned back to the stacks. "All the more power to them," she muttered. "But it won't be me."

Still grinning, Lupo leaned back on his heels against the video rack to watch his companion as she rifled through the shop's offerings. It had been two weeks since they'd had their first date at the dog show, and he had to admit to being even more intrigued by the young lawyer now. She portrayed herself as an exquisitely sophisticated lady, but he had a feeling there was more to her than the average New York fashionista. Every once in a while, he caught sight of a bit of a tomboy edge she kept well hidden. It almost seemed like she was hiding herself. And she was doing a damned good job at it. He wondered where he fit into her play. Somehow he doubted that a cowboy cop quite fit in the world of the character she was playing. But maybe he did fit with the person she hid underneath...

With a shake of his head, he rolled his eyes at his own thoughts. What was he doing? Not only was he overanalysing things again, he wasn't exactly the most emotionally healthy person himself. He'd managed to talk himself out of every potential relationship he'd had since his brother's wedding. He really needed to just relax. Grabbing another video, he walked back over to her.

"Connie?" Still suspicious, she glanced up at him. He held out his peace offering. "What about this one?"

A small smile appeared on her lips when she saw the title. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Waggling his eyebrows, he grinned at her. She rolled her eyes and grabbed the video before heading towards the waiting clerk. "I'm not the only one," he muttered to himself as he followed her to the checkout.


	6. Chapter 6

A sharp jab on his back sent Lupo into spasms as he chocked on a bite of sandwich. His partner's hearty laugh rang through his ears as he struggled to catch his breath. He glared as Bernard sat in chair directly in front of his desk.

Still laughing, Bernard motioned to his mouth. "You've got a little mustard."

"Screw you," he said wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Bernard ignored him, and gestured at the papers covering Lupo's desk. "So what've you been up to? Was your lunch productive?"

Taking another bite, Lupo grabbed his notepad off the desk. "So far I've got four people who haven't seen Morgansen in a few months, one who thinks he was at a party two weeks ago but can't be certain, and one who wants first crack at him when he's found. So a whole lotta nothing. Connie called just after you left. Apparently the judge doesn't think that disappearing when his wife is murdered is probable cause to get us into his office." Stretching out his neck, he handed over the list of the dead wife's friends he had been calling while he ate. "Your turn."

Bernard watched as his partner stood up. "Where are you headed?"

"The john. You gotta problem with that?" Lupo snarled.

"Whoa. What's with you?" Bernard asked, confused at the other man's hostility.

With a sigh, Lupo rubbed his neck. "Sorry. Being pc with hoighty-toighty society puts me in a really bad mood." It was the truth, if only half of the reason for his temper. He wasn't about to go into his dog's gastric distress that had resulted in a serious lack of sleep and several major cleaning attempts last night.

Nodding his head, Bernard accepted the apology. Anxious to get away in case of further questions, Lupo turned swiftly away from his partner, colliding spectacularly with his sister-in-law. The thick files she was carrying exploded into the air, and the administrative assistant fell to the floor with an audible thump.

"Oh geez, I'm sorry Jenny," Lupo said reaching out to help her up. "Are you okay?"

She smiled slightly brushing off her skirt. "It's okay. I'm fine." Surveying the mounds of paper, she grimaced slightly. "The files, however…"

Lupo followed her gaze and nodded. "Yeah. Bernard and I will get it picked up."

"Hey, why do I have to pay for your collision?" Bernard called out from his desk.

"You want to share in the benefits of being my partner, you take the drudgery too," Lupo said bending down to pick up the fallen papers. "Now get off your lazy butt and help us out."

Still grumbling good naturedly, Bernard joined the two in cleaning up the squad room. The papers were soon picked up and sorted back into the proper files on Lupo's desk.

"Cyrus, I haven't seen much of you recently," Jenny said as she placed the last paper in its proper file.

Lupo frowned slightly. "You seen me every day," he pointed out. A knowing look crossed Bernard's face, and he retreated to his own desk to watch the results of this conversation.

With a smile, Jenny nodded. "At work. The kids were asking me about you yesterday. You haven't come around the house much in the past few months. In fact, I don't think you've been around at all this month." She paused slightly. "They miss you."

Cocking his head to the side, Lupo considered her words. He'd been spending most of his weekends off with Connie, and hadn't realized it had been that long since he'd seen his brother's family. He was surprised to realize he hadn't missed them. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize."

"It's okay. But we're having a family barbeque with your parents on Saturday. It would be nice if you could come."

He hesitated, and then nodded slowly. "I'll see what I can do."

"Good," she said picking up the files. "Come over any time after 3."

Bernard and Lupo watched in silence as Jenny Lupo disappeared. "So what've you been doing with yourself instead of mooning over that sister-in-law of yours?"

Confused, Lupo turned to face his partner. "Huh?"

With a shrug, Bernard picked up his own notebook. "Up until three months ago you stared at her whenever she walked by, and took any excuse to go over to her house - leaky faucet, watch the kids, cut the lawn. Now not only do you not jump at an invitation to see her this weekend, but apparently you haven't been over in quite a while."

Somewhat indignant, it took Lupo a minute to respond. "First off, I don't stare at her. And…"

"Not anymore. But you did," Bernard interrupted.

Rolling his eyes, Lupo continued. "I've been busy."

"Doing…" Bernard prompted.

"None of your business," he countered.

Bernard cocked his head slightly and studied his partner. "I bet it has something to do with a certain young lawyer that you've been spending an awful lot of time with recently."

"You know, sometimes you really remind me of a gossip crazy teenage girl," Lupo said. While he'd gotten used to some of his partner's idiosyncrasies, the man's attempts to help with his personal life was sometimes a little much. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to that was interrupted."

Heading out of the room, Lupo's thoughts turned back to Jenny and Connie. It was true that since he'd been seeing Connie, the thoughts of his sister-in-law had faded substantially. He couldn't remember the last time he'd caught his eyes following her in the squadroom. Or the last time he'd even wanted to talk to her. When was the last time he'd been over to her house? He'd taken his niece and nephew out the last time he'd seen them. And, if he was being truthful, he didn't miss her. If anything, he was kind of relieved to be free from the power she'd exerted over him for so long. He really wasn't sure he wanted to spend Saturday with her and his parents. He was supposed to be with Connie – they were supposed to take Otto out of town to go hiking on Saturday.

With a sigh, he leaned against the wall and ran his hand through his raggedy curls. He'd have to call her about Saturday. Maybe they could reschedule for next weekend. No, next weekend he was working, and would then be on call the following week. He shook his head in frustration. He'd really been looking forward to spending the day with Connie. It had been a bit of a shock to find out how much she enjoyed hiking and the woods. When they left the bustle of the city, she showed another side of her personality and somehow seemed more relaxed. She seemed more comfortable with herself, and let him see in past the mask she wore. And he loved what he saw.

He pulled himself up with a jerk. Did he really mean that? Was it really possible that he was starting to fall in love with her? A picture of her last weekend flashed into his head bringing a smile to his face – she was lying on the floor of his small apartment, using Otto as a pillow. Her dark hair contrasted brilliantly against his white coat, a concentrated look on her face as she attempted to reaffix the dog license that kept coming loose from his collar. They'd just gotten back from a long and rather wet walk with the dog, and he'd found her breathtaking in that moment. Her hair was windblown, her clothes slightly muddy, her face free from makeup. And she was absolutely beautiful.

Other images of her flashed through his conscious – laughing as Otto sprayed her after a dip in the water, curled up on the couch watching a movie, running out of the coffee shop near her apartment carrying a coffee in one hand and muffin in the other, standing in front of the courtroom, her eyes fiery as she pressed home a point. He groaned. He was well past the point of starting to fall, maybe even past the point of falling in love with Connie Rubirosa. And that could make life a whole lot more complicated.


	7. Chapter 7

Connie hurried up the steps into the 27th precinct, sure that the police officers were wondering why on earth it was taking her so long to get there. On her way to the police station from her own office, she'd been delayed by construction and a traffic detour. She hated being late. She'd had a professor in her first year of law school that would horribly berate anyone who wasn't 5 minutes early for class. Only once had she been caught, and it had been enough to instil in her a terrible fear of being late. Which actually was kind of ironic, given that until law school she'd been chronically late for everything.

Pushing through towards the interrogation rooms, she stopped short finding Lieutenant Van Buren, Lupo and Bernard in the observation room. All three were sitting in rather uncomfortable looking wooden chairs, apparently playing a game of cards. "Uh, so, what's going on with the suspect?" she asked, a confused look on her face.

The three police officers exchanged looks. "I don't know how he knew what was going on, but the lawyer was here when we got back to the precinct. We never got to talk to him," Bernard told her.

Connie shrugged. That didn't concern her in the slightest. "So what've you got on him?" she asked, grabbing the off of the table and moving towards the window.

"Darrell McMann, 34, a couple of assaults, and a robbery conviction up state," Bernard recited from memory.

"Darrell McMann…" she murmured, flipping open the file and running her finger along the first page. She stopped suddenly. "…Massena. It can't be…" A horrified look on her face, she quickly looked up and through the window, the colour draining from her face as her fears were confirmed.. Whipping around, she bolted from the room.

The cops starred at the door as it swung shut. No one had ever seen Connie Rubirosa lose her cool before. "What the heck was that?" Bernard finally asked turning to his partner.

"I have no idea," Lupo responded, completely perplexed. He grabbed the file from where it had dropped. Taking a quick glance, he shrugged. "The robbery conviction was in Massena. That's where she grew up. Maybe she knew him or something."

Van Buren stared at her detective incredulously. "How on earth did you ever become a detective, let alone get a date with her? She didn't just recognize some guy. Something spooked her, detective. And badly." She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Now I know I'm not supposed to interfere in your private life, but if you want to keep having one, go out there and find out what the heck is wrong with her." Shaking her head, she headed towards the window. "And try to get her back in here so we can find out what to do with this bozo."

Lupo scrambled up and out the door, still a little bewildered by what he had just witnessed. He headed out towards the street, determined to get to the bottom of her reaction.

She hadn't gone far. He found her leaning with her back against the wall, her head supported in her hands. As he approached he could see her chest rise and fall as she breathed heavily. He placed one hand on her shoulder. Connie turned and grabbed his lapels, holding on for dear life and burying her face in his chest.

Lupo felt fear well up his heart as he held her. She was shaking almost uncontrollably, and he had no idea why. This wasn't his Connie. This wasn't the woman who had stood up to her boss, countless judges, defence attorneys and murderers. This was a scared little girl desperately holding on for dear life.


	8. Chapter 8

He wasn't sure how long they stood there. He just held her in his arms as she shook. As he felt her body calm down, he loosened his embrace to look down at her. He felt his heart sink as he caught sight of her face. She was still white, and her eyes darted back and forth fearfully. He'd seen that look too many times not to recognize her absolute terror. Pulling away slightly, he felt her tense up and grasp on to him for dear life. "Come on, let's get away from here," he said, gently leading her down the street.

Connie just nodded mutely and followed. He led her away from the precinct, a thousand possible reasons for her reaction rushing through his head. A mixture of fear and rage rushed through his body, and he tried unsuccessfully to purge himself of all feeling. Trying to remain impartial was a loosing battle when someone you loved was involved.

After 6 blocks she finally broke her silence. "What kind of kid were you in high school?"

He didn't respond at first, being too shocked at the question. He wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to say to her. "Where you one of the in-crowd? A jock?" she asked.

"Uh, no…umm…I guess I was somewhat of a bad boy I guess. Spent half my time in the principal's office or detention. I didn't listen to the teachers, wore a lot of black, thought rules were just adults trying to control us. Drove my parents crazy. When I joined the department my mom told me that she always knew I was destined to be on one side or the other of handcuffs." She cracked a half smile at his attempted humour. "I didn't exactly run with a bad crowd, just a weird group. The kids everyone knows, but that generally keep to themselves."

"At least you had a group," she muttered under her breath, then resumed her silent march.

A couple of blocks later she motioned to a coffee shop on the corner. "I really need a coffee," she said. He nodded, and they headed into the small shop. The place was rather empty, other than an older man reading the newspaper near the window. He led her to a dark sofa at the back and settled down to wait.

"I was a nobody. Throughout elementary school, I was just a little bit weird. Massena's a small town, and my family just didn't belong. My parents were a bit strange I guess. I think Mom would have been a full blown hippy if she was just a little bit older. We lived outside of town, grew a lot of our own food, kept a goat, and wore strange clothes. In junior high, I was ignored. My only friend moved away in the middle of grade 5, and no one bothered with me at all.

"Karen. She lived near us, and we spent hours together outside. We built forts in the woods, explored every inch of the land around our places, and read every book we could get our hands on. I honestly didn't care that I didn't have any other friends. Then she moved. And no one wanted to be around the freak who didn't have a television and drank goat's milk."

Lupo watched as she wrapped her hands around the mug, seemingly drawing strength from the heat it radiated. "Karen and I started training Ariel together. When she left, I just threw everything I had into the dog. She didn't care what I wore, or ate, or anything. She just loved me." Connie sighed deeply. "Then high school came. And it was horrible. I wasn't ignored anymore. I was the butt of everyone's jokes, tormented like crazy. For some reason my sister never got the same treatment, but I was just everyone's punching bag. They played every cruel trick you can think of on me. Stole my books, dumped things in my locker, poured candy on my head, belittled me constantly. I was a nervous wreck and suffering from serious anxiety issues. My dad even had me see a shrink. But at least I had Ariel and the training. I really think she kept me sane.

"Then one day near the beginning of grade 12, we were out on the road, about to cross to get to the field where we did some of our work, and a blue car came screaming by. It was one of the guys who'd tormented me so terribly, and he shouted out some insult at me. I had gotten so good at ignoring them that I have no idea what he said. So I crossed, and Ariel followed. Suddenly out of nowhere, the car came back and ploughed into her. I'll never forget the sight of her flying through the air, or the sound of his laughter." Connie wiped at her eyes and swallowed hard before continuing. "I just screamed. She landed 10 feet away in a ditch. I remember running to her, and finding her looking so twisted and bloody. She was whimpering a sound that was so terrible, and I just fell beside her. I couldn't move. I remember her licking me as she lay there dying, and I couldn't….I couldn't…" By now Connie was shaking again, and Lupo moved over to hold her again.

After a couple of minutes she pushed away. "I'm okay," she said, shaking her head to clear it. "Anyway, I'd been to New York on a class trip, and already decided that I was going to come to the city. After that day, I was determined to make myself into someone respectable. That I'd leave the freak behind in Massena, and I'd become someone people would respect, someone people wouldn't dare make fun of. And I did. I forgot about everything. I just buried it all, and became someone else. But seeing Darrell…" she shuddered. "Darrell was the one driving the car," she whispered as silent tears streamed down her face. "And I just don't think I can face him."


	9. Chapter 9

_This is really a bit sappy for me, but I think it works._

* * *

They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Connie kept her eyes focused down, as if trying to lose herself in her rapidly cooling drink. Lupo felt a surge of conflicting emotions threaten to overwhelm him as he watched her. He had no idea how to respond, and desperately wanted to say the right thing. In the darkest moments of his past, he'd never felt so helpless.

Finally, he broke the silence. "Connie," he said quietly. She looked up, and he sucked in a breath when her dull eyes met his. It seemed like the life had been sucked out of her. "I don't know how someone could do something so horrible. I'm so sorry you had such a crappy childhood, and that you had people being that cruel to you." Taking a deep breath, he continued. "But you're not a scared and alone little girl. You're a powerful, successful attorney who has scared heartless criminals with a stare. You're beautiful, independent, and resourceful. And you are most definitely not alone. No matter what Connie, I'm here." He paused, searching her eyes for signs of life. Seeing a faint glimmer, he took her hand. "I love you."

Tears gathered in her eyes, and she sniffed. "You…you do?" she asked faintly. "Wh..why?"

He chuckled slightly. "Damned if I know," he responded. Reaching out, he tucked a stray chunk of hair behind her ear. "Seriously, I'm just a screwed up cop, sweetheart. I've spent my adult life running from my emotions. The only healthy relationships I've ever had are with animals, and I've ruined just about every relationship I've ever had with a human, including the one with my brother. You deserve so much more than I can give you. I don't even know what I can give you. But I do love you. More than I ever even imagined was possible."

A ghost smile appeared on Connie's face at his words. "I guess we're both dysfunctional individuals, but we function okay together." He nodded, and leaned over to plant a chaste kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes and leaned in. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked into her hair as he pulled her close.

She sighed and snuggled into the embrace. "For letting me be me. You're the only person I've let even glimpse at what's behind my DA persona. You don't expect anything from me, and you just take whatever I can give."

"Oh, Connie. I didn't fall in love with the high powered attorney. I fell in love with the tomboy who does crazy things with my dog. The one with a killer handbag swing, and a knack for knowing exactly where every pretzel stand in the city is." He pulled away slightly to look into her eyes. "I love you. All the different parts, good and bad, functional and dysfunctional."

"I love you too," she whispered. "So much that it kind of scares me."

He leaned in and kissed her lightly. After a moment, she pulled away. "I think we'd better get back to the precinct. They're really going to be wondering what happened to us." She grimaced. "I don't want to explain this."

"So don't. They won't ask." At her look of disbelief, he shrugged. "What? They're not that rude. It's me they'll drill, and I'll just make something up."

Laughing slightly, she rolled her eyes. "I pity Bernard."

His response was a grin as he helped her out of her seat.


End file.
